Wastebasket and collar

ABSTRACT

A wastebasket with a removable collar adapted to fit snugly on the top of the wastebasket to hold a disposable liner bag in place while hiding from sight the portion of the liner bag extending beyond the wastebasket rim. The collar has a lower, preferably flared portion around the outside of the collar. When the collar is in place, the lower portion defines a retention space within the collar and external to the wastebasket for permitting an upper portion of the bag to be tucked in so as to hide it from view and improve the external appearance of the wastebasket. In another embodiment, the collar is also adjustable to fit wastebaskets of varying sizes and shapes. The invention also includes the collar itself, which may be purchased and used separately.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus wherein a collar which, when used in conjunction with a wastebasket, secures a plastic trash bag to the top rim of the wastebasket and hides from view the excess portion of the bag, that extends over the top and hangs down along the sides of the wastebasket.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a conventional prior art wastebasket or trash can with a collapsible and amorphously flexible, disposable plastic bag liner inside. As is commonly done in almost every household every day, a user typically stretches a portion of the open end of the bag over and around the top rim of the wastebasket and down around the outside so as to prevent the bag, by tension and friction, from falling into the basket as the bag fills with trash. If, however, the bag is not stretched tightly over the top of the wastebasket, or if the trash is heavy, then the bag may nevertheless fall into the wastebasket. In addition, excess bag material stretched around the outside top of the basket creates an unsightly appearance.

These problems are particularly prevalent and troublesome when bags, such as plastic grocery bags or shopping bags, that were not specifically intended to be used as trash bags, are in fact used for that purpose. Indeed, today, it is more likely that a leftover plastic grocery bag will be used to line a wastebasket than a bag specifically made, designed and manufactured for that purpose. Thus, a need exists for a retainer device for use with any type of bag, to both hold the bag firmly in place in the wastebasket and to hide any excess bag material from view. This retainer device can be adaptable to fit wastebaskets of different sizes and shapes.

A number of different bag or liner retainer devices have been proposed in the prior art. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,028,022; 5,425,469, 5,632,401, 5,645,186, 5,662,238, 5,803,299 and 6,286,706. These devices, however, are intended for use only with a specially-designed bag and are not adapted with an interior space in a collar to hold excess bag material both for the purposes of more tightly securing it and also for hiding it from view. For example, while U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,299 shows a collar-type device for holding multiple trash bags in place, the device is not adapted to permit the exposed top portion of the trash bag to be tucked up into the collar so as to hide it from view. In addition, the device contains a number of pointed support pegs 9 that could tear the bag or hurt a user's fingers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art and to improve the functionality and external appearance of a wastebasket having a disposable plastic bag liner, the invention comprises a wastebasket with a removable collar adapted to fit snugly around the top rim of a wastebasket to hold the upper portion of a liner bag in place and to hide from view any excess plastic bag that extends over the top of the wastebasket. In one embodiment the collar can be made of an amorphous material such as cloth or plastic sheet material that can easily be contoured to the rim of any wastebasket; however, a more rigid or semi-rigid material may be preferable and can be sized and configured for particular wastebasket rims. In some cases the collar of rigid or semi-rigid material may be made to have an adjustable size as described herein.

For the rigid or semi-rigid collar, the cross-section of the upper portion of a preferred embodiment may have the appearance of a generally upside-down U-shape, with a downwardly flared lower portion around the outside of the collar, optionally terminating in an inwardly curled lip. When the collar is in place on the top rim of the wastebasket with the interior of the base of the U-shaped upper portion resting on the rim, the flared portion extends downward and forms a retention space between the collar and external wall of the wastebasket sufficient for holding a tucked-in or folded-up upper portion of the bag in its entirety. The space within the collar maintains the tucked-in portion of the bag in place, thereby hiding all excess bag material from view and improving both the appearance and functionality of the wastebasket.

In another embodiment, the rigid or semi-rigid collar is adjustable, particularly as to its perimetric length. For example, the collar may be annular with an upper portion having a generally U-shaped cross-section as described above and wherein the collar is provided with a slit or cut in one location. One end of the collar is slightly smaller than the opposite end, so that when the collar is disposed about the wastebasket the one end of the collar may be inserted into the opposite end and slid therein in telescoping fashion to permit adjustment of the circumference of the collar. Alternatively, the collar may be made in two pieces wherein the ends of one piece are slidably received in the slits of the other piece, or wherein each piece has a receiver end and a received end. In this way, the collar is adaptable to fit onto wastebaskets of varying sizes and shapes.

The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following definitions, descriptions and descriptive figures of specific embodiments thereof wherein like reference numerals in the various figures are utilized to designate like components. While these descriptions go into specific details of the invention, it should be understood that variations may and do exist and would be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the descriptions herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view in elevation of a prior art wastebasket fitted with an inner plastic bag liner.

FIG. 2 is a side view in cross-section of one embodiment of the present invention showing a retaining collar deployed on a wastebasket.

FIG. 3A is a view in perspective of another collar embodiment according to the invention.

FIG. 3B is a view in perspective of still another collar embodiment according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of another embodiment of the present invention showing a collar on a wastebasket.

FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of an adjustable collar according to another aspect of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view in cross-section showing still another collar and wastebasket embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 a is a view in perspective showing yet another collar and wastebasket embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 b is a view in perspective showing another collar and wastebasket embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a conventional prior art wastebasket fitted with an inner plastic bag serving as a disposable liner. As is common in the prior art, the inner bag is typically not sized to fit the wastebasket perfectly. Instead, individuals frequently use plastic grocery or other bags that were not originally designed to be used as trash bags. As a result, as can be seen in FIG. 1, such bags do not fit tightly over the top of the wastebasket, and excess bag material hangs down over the top and along the outside of the wastebasket, creating an unsightly appearance.

Referring to FIG. 2, a conventional open-top wastebasket 10 is shown having a bottom wall or base 14, sidewalls 12 extending upward from the base to define an interior space for receiving trash The upper ends of the sidewalls terminate in a basket top rim 15. The wastebasket may be made of wood, plastic, rubber, metal or any other suitable material, and may be circular, oval, rectangular or any other suitable shape. The wastebasket is adapted to receive a bag 20 that lines the inner surfaces the sidewalls 12. The invention is designed to address the reality that the bag 20 used to line the inner walls 12 and hang over the top rim 15 of the wastebasket is not one specifically designed for such purpose, such as a plastic grocery or shopping bag.

A collar 30 is adapted to be placed over, and preferably mounted on, the top rim 15 to extend completely around the outside surface of the upper portions of the sidewalls 12 of the wastebasket 10. Preferably, the collar 30, if rigid, is circular or rectangular, so as to fit over a conventional wastebasket, and be removable. In cross section the upper portion of the collar 30 has a generally inverted-U-shaped configuration to receive the wastebasket rim. The collar need not be rigid, however, and may be an amorphous cloth or plastic sheet material capable of performing the functions described herein. Alternatively different portions of the collar may be made from different materials.

The collar 30 has an inner (relative to the wastebasket) portion 32, a top portion 35, an outer portion 40, wherein the inner and outer portions are spaced to permit the rim of the wastebasket to fit therebetween and thereby enable the inside or lower surface of top portion 35 to rest and be supported on the basket rim. The collar includes an outwardly flared lower portion 50, and a bottom portion 55 that curves inward toward the wastebasket and then upward and then back toward the inside of the collar, the bottom portion optionally terminating in an inwardly-curled lip 57. In this illustrated embodiment the collar is formed of rigid or semi-rigid plastic. However, the collar is not required to be rigid, and the collar could alternatively be formed of resilient rubber or plastic, or wood, rigid or pliable metal or any other material. The lower flared portion 50, bottom portion 55 and lip 57 together define a capture space 60 within the collar. Preferably, both the inner and outer surfaces of the collar are smooth and do not contain any projecting pegs or other members that otherwise might tear the bag or hurt a user's fingers. It will be understood that lip 57 may be dispensed with, if desired, as long as the retention space is designed to retain the extended potion of the bag liner therein, for example, by flaring back toward the wastebasket. In fact, the material from which the collar is made can be pliable, at least at its lowermost end, to permit that end to be pushed toward the wastebasket and remain in that position to retain the extended portion 25 of the bag liner in place.

The collar is adapted to fit snugly on the top rim 15 of the wastebasket 10 so as to hold the liner trash bag 20 firmly in place relative to the wastebasket. When the collar 30 is placed over the top rim 15 of the wastebasket and over the upper portion of the bag 20, the space 60, together with the extended upper portion of the wall 12 of the wastebasket, and lip 57, define a capture or retention space large enough to receive the upper overhanging portion 25 of the bag 20 in a folded, curled, crumpled or tucked-in state. Lip 57 is sufficient in downward length and construction to allow the upper portion 25 of the bag to be tucked in behind the lip, and to hold the tucked-in upper portion 25 in place.

In operation, after the collar has been placed on the top rim and bag, the user may gather excess or exposed bag material with his/her fingers, flexibly and resiliently bend the outer portion of the collar outwardly, and then tuck the excess bag material up into the space 60 so as to hide it from view. The bottom portion 55 of the collar, together with the lip 57, together act to keep the excess bag material within the space 60 and prevent the external upper portion 25 of the bag from falling out. In this way, the collar of the invention serves not only to keep the bag firmly in place within the wastebasket, but also to enhance the external appearance of the wastebasket by hiding excess bag material from view.

Referring to FIG. 5, an embodiment 30′ of the collar of the invention is shown as an elongated strip having discrete ends. The strip is flexible and conformable to fit about the rim and upper portion of a wastebasket of substantially any configuration. For this embodiment the ends of the strip may abut one another when deployed, or they may fit one within the other to permit perimetric adjustment of the collar 30′.

Collars 30, 30′ may also be made as an endless or continuous loop of material, in which case the top portion material is may be resiliently stretchable to permit it to fit substantially any wastebasket configuration, rigid and configured to fit specific wastebasket configurations, or rigid or semi-rigid with means for adjusting the collar perimeter. Examples of rigid configurations are illustrated in FIGS. 7 a and 7 b. The round annular collar 30″ shown in FIG. 7 a is adapted to fit on an annular lip or rim of a round cylindrical wastebasket. Likewise, the square collar 30′″ shown in FIG. 7 b is adapted to fit on a square lip or rim of a square wastebasket. The specific fit embodiment is most appropriate when the collar and wastebasket are sold by the same manufacturer, either as a unit or with the collar sold as an aftermarket add-on product.

A universal or multi-basket collar, instead of being endless, may alternatively be cut to some prescribed length as shown in FIGS. 3 a and 3 b. The FIG. 3 a collar embodiment is an elongated strip of predetermined length that is folded over on itself to define a an interior channel demarked by an entry slot 70 at one of the ends. One end 80 of the collar has slightly smaller inside dimensions than the other end 90, such that end 80 may be inserted into and slid back and forth within end 90 at slot 70, so as to adjust the circumference of the collar. Alternatively, end 80 may be permanently inserted through slot 70 while leaving freedom to slide end 80 within the channel to adjust the collar size. If the collar is minimally flexible, such a collar is preferably circular or oval shaped; however, for more amorphous material, the collar can be placed on square or rectangular wastebaskets. Alternatively, two slots (not shown) may be provided in the collar, such that the collar comprises two separate semi-circular or other shaped parts, one of which may be slid back and forth within the other at two locations so as to increase or decrease the inner dimension 34. In this way, the collar may be adjusted to fit a wide variety of wastebaskets of different sizes and shapes. In another embodiment (see FIG. 3 b), hook and eye material 100 such as Velcro®, or any suitable adhesive-type material or latching or connecting device may be secured to an inside surface of each portion 80 and 90 of the collar, so as to hold the ends of the collar portion securely together after perimetric adjustment.

FIG. 4 is a view of another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, collar 30 is square or rectangular in shape. In a manner similar to the embodiment of FIG. 3, collar 30 includes at least two slits 70, a relatively small portion 80, and a relatively larger portion 90, adapted such that the small portion may be slid back and forth within the larger portion so as to increase or decrease at least one inner dimension 34 of the collar.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the interior of the collar is provided with a separate flange 101 extending downwardly and interiorly of the collar from upper collar section 35 to define along with interior wall 32 a receiving space for the rim and upper end of the wastebasket. This configuration eliminates the need for outer wall 40 to be arcuately contoured to both define the rim receiving space and also flare outwardly to define the retention space for hiding the upper end of the liner bag. Specifically, outer wall 40 in this embodiment flares outwardly and downwardly at a fixed angle from the upper portion 35 of the collar to thereby define the retention space.

While the invention has been described herein with reference to certain preferred embodiments, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and not to limit the scope of the invention. Substantially any collar configuration may be selected as long as it can hold the upper end of the liner bag in place against slipping back into the wastebasket while providing retention space for receiving and hiding the portion of the bag that is pulled over the wastebasket rim. Moreover, in the case of adjustable collars, substantially any means may be employed to adjust the tension in the collar to tighten or loosen the collar and its engagement with the wastebasket. Apart from the means disclosed above, straps, belts, a series of snaps, etc. are all within the scope of the invention.

Having described preferred embodiments of a collar for a wastebasket, it is believed that other modifications, variations and changes will be suggested to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings set forth herein. It is therefore to be understood that all such variations, modifications and changes are believed to fall within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. 

1. A method for securing a plastic bag liner to a wastebasket comprising the steps of: (a) attaching a collar to the top rim of the wastebasket to secure the upper portion of the liner to the rim such that the upper end of the liner extends beyond the rim; and (b) providing a retention space between the collar and the outside of the upper portion of the wastebasket to receive and hide from view all of the upper end of the liner.
 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of: (c) selectively adjusting the perimeter of the collar to tighten the collar around the upper portion of the wastebasket.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein step (c) includes sliding an end of the collar longitudinally within the another end of the collar.
 4. A collar of the type used for retaining an extended upper portion of a plastic bag liner in position extending beyond the rim of a wastebasket, said collar characterized by: an upper portion adapted to fit about the outside of the upper portion of the wastebasket at or below the rim in sufficiently close proximity to the wastebasket to retain the liner in contact with the wastebasket; and a lower portion disposed in spaced relation to the outside of the wastebasket to define a retention space between the lower portion of the collar and the wastebasket, said retention space having sufficient volume to receive and hide from view all of the extended portion of the liner.
 5. The collar of claim 4 wherein: the upper portion of the collar includes a generally inverted-U-shape section adapted to removably fit snugly over the rim and around the upper portion of the outside of the wastebasket, the lower portion of the collar includes a downwardly and outwardly flared portion terminating in an inwardly-curled lip, adapted such that when the collar is fitted in place around the rim of the wastebasket, the flared portion forms the retention space, whereby the bag is secured in place and whereby the extended portion of the bag may be tucked into the retention space to hide it from view.
 6. The collar of claim 4 further comprising means for adjusting the tension in said collar to selectively tighten and loosen the engagement between the collar and the wastebasket.
 7. The collar of claim 4 further comprising at least one slit and adapted so that one end of the collar may be slidably inserted into another end of the collar and slid back and forth so as to permit tension in the collar to be increased or decreased, whereby the collar may be adjusted to fit wastebaskets of differing sizes and shapes.
 8. In combination, a wastebasket and a collar for securing a disposable plastic bag liner to the wastebasket, wherein the wastebasket comprises a floor and sidewalls and an open top, the upper edges of the sidewalls defining a top rim, the wastebasket adapted to receive the liner which is of a size to extend over and beyond the rim of the wastebasket, the collar being adapted to be placed about the upper end of the wastebasket, said combination characterized in that the collar comprises: an upper portion adapted to fit about the outside of the upper portion of the wastebasket at or below the rim in sufficiently close proximity to the wastebasket to retain the liner in contact with the wastebasket; and a lower portion disposed in spaced relation to the outside of the wastebasket to define a retention space between the lower portion of the collar and the wastebasket, said retention space having sufficient volume to receive and hide from view all of the extended portion of the liner.
 9. The collar of claim 8 wherein: the upper portion of the collar includes a generally inverted-U-shape section adapted to removably fit snugly over the rim and around the upper portion of the outside of the wastebasket, the lower portion of the collar includes a downwardly and outwardly flared portion terminating in an inwardly-curled lip, adapted such that when the collar is fitted in place around the rim of the wastebasket, the flared portion forms the retention space, whereby the bag is secured in place and whereby the extended portion of the bag may be tucked into the retention space to hide it from view.
 10. The collar of claim 8 further comprising means for adjusting the tension in said collar to selectively tighten and loosen the engagement between the collar and the wastebasket.
 11. The collar of claim 8 further comprising at least one slit and adapted so that one end of the collar may be slidably inserted into another end of the collar and slid back and forth so as to permit tension in the collar to be increased or decreased, whereby the collar may be adjusted to fit wastebaskets of differing sizes and shapes. 